Kandy heading for rugby double

S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen Kandy Sports Correspondent

RUGBY: Kandy Sports Club in their quest for rugby double struggled their way to a 28 points (two goals, one try, two penalties, one drop goal) to 13 (one goal, two penalties) win over Havelocks Sports Club to enter the finals of the Caltex Clifford Cup knock out rugby tournament at the semi-finals played at the Nittawela Rugby Stadium in Kandy yesterday. At half time Kandy led 7-6.

Kandy put up a woeful display as they spilled passes at crucial stages and their cohesive rugby was missing.

Havelocks on the other hand had fitness on their side but basic errors saw them hand over the match to their opponents. In fact till the 15th minute of the second half Havelocks led 13-7 but they lacked the approach to pull it through overall their forwards had a good game but the same could not be said of their back division.

Game started with Kandy snatching an early lead through a long pass by stand off Fazil Marija to winger Sameera Silva who pierced the opponents defence to score under the post. In the absence of full back Nalaka Weerakkody, his younger brother and winger Eranda Weerakkody added the extra points to Kandy 7-0.

But in the 15th minute, Havelocks stand off S. Lakshantha converted a penalty to reduce the lead 3-7. It was a lucky conversion as the ball struck the horizontal bar rose up and went over.

Kandy could have scored in the 22nd when a penalty kick at goal taken by Eranda Weerakkody was off target and winger Sameera Silva who charged just missed touching down in Havelocks in goal area.

Shortly afterwards another penalty fired by stand off S. Lakshantha saw Havelocks bridging the gap further to 6-7 and with that score the teams went for lemons.

The struggle for supremacy continued after the turn around. In the 8th minute a short pass by Kandy’s Fazil Marija in Havelocks territory was intercepted by winger Chanaka Fonseka who made a blazing 60 metre, chased only by Sanjeewa to score under the post. Lakshantha added the extra points. Havelocks led 13-7.

Kandy Sports Club who had not scored any points for over 40 minutes felt that the game was slipping away and was in danger of even losing the game in their home terrain. They brought in two changes by bringing in scrum half Krishantha Rajapaksa and flanker Dilip Selvam and this changed the complexion of the game.

In the 15th minute full back and Antonian schoolboy Roshan Wijesinghe made a piercing 30 metre run and when challenged slung a pass to winger Sameera Silva who plunged over mid left. Winger Eranda Weerakkody added the extra points and Kandy had wrested the lead 14-13.

A penalty awarded for ‘killing the ball’ was converted by Eranda Weerakkody for Kandy to increase their lead to 17-13. But the game was still not safe.

In the 23rd minute, Krishantha Rajapakse retrieved the ball from the maul and sent a pass to winger Eranda Weerakkody who executed a 35 metre drop goal for Kandy to consolidate its lead to 20-13.

Ten minutes later, Havelocks were penalised for not releasing the ball and the 45 metre penalty kick taken by Kandy’s Eranda Weerakkody was off target as it lacked both distance and direction. But referee Dilroy Fernando rewarded the penalty as the Havies were penalised for charging too early.

Eranda Weerakkody’s second attempt was successful and Kandy led 20-13. Five minutes before, the final whistle saw on attempted kick to touch was brilliantly collected by Kandy’s winger Sanjeewa Jayasinghe who darted a good 40 metres before touching down by the right corner flag. Weerakkody failed to add the extra points.

Dilroy Fernando refereed.